There are several ways to protect computer systems from unauthorized access. One of the most popular ways is to use passwords. In order to use a given computer system, a user has to enter the correct password. If the user enters the correct password, access to the computer system is permitted. However, if the user does not enter the correct password, access to the computer system is denied.
Another way to protect computer systems from unauthorized access that is becoming more popular is to employ biometric information. Biometric information can include fingerprint scans, retinal scans, and face geometry, among other types of biometric information. For example, in order to use a given computer system, a user may have to press his or her finger against a fingerprint-scanning device. The fingerprint-scanning device scans the fingerprint of the user's finger, and determines whether the user should be permitted or denied access to the computer system.
Using biometric information in lieu of passwords is becoming more popular because users do not have to remember passwords in order to gain access to computer systems. However, biometric information has some disadvantages. If the user temporarily or permanently loses his or her fingerprint due to injury, then the user will not be able to access a computer system. Furthermore, some legacy security systems are not amenable to replacing their existing password security schemes with biometric security schemes.
For instance, most computers have a type of firmware known as a basic input/output system (BIOS). The BIOS of a computer can provide at least one of three different types of password security forms: a hard disk password (HDP), a power-on password (POP), and a supervisor password (SVP). The HDP controls access to the hard disk drives or other storage devices of a computer. The POP controls access to the loading of the operating system. The SVP is a master password that may control access to administrative settings in addition to the loading of the operating system.
Many existing biometric security schemes meant to replace existing password security schemes require that a special application program be loaded in order to operate properly. However, such existing biometric security schemes do not work with legacy security schemes having password security schemes, like the BIOS of a computer. For instance, the BIOS of a computer does not provide for any special application program to be loaded, since, indeed, the BIOS of the computer is operative before the operating system is even loaded. For these and other reasons, therefore, there is a need for the present invention.